Election Night: Media Winners and Losers

While we wait to learn the winner of the 2020 presidential election, we are calling out the winners and losers from last night in the media.

Here we go:

Loser: Joy Reid

I don't care whom you voted for, which party you support or what news network you consume. Joy Reid is shameful. She's as radical as anyone on TV. She constantly spreads misinformation, preaches hate, and goes on-air with statements that would likely get someone on the right canceled for life.

It is inexcusable for MSNBC to act as if she is an objective voice on election night. MSNBC is to blame for this moment on its airwaves:












Disgusting.

Winner: The Daily Wire

The Daily Wire's live election show was as well produced as any of the networks. With Jeremy Boreing, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, and Andrew Klavan — the Daily Wire had a lively, informative broadcast that relied on dialogue over repetitive analysis.  

During its coverage, the Daily Wire announced the addition of Candace Owens. With nearly 3 million Twitter followers, Owens is a social media lightning rod who will bolster the brand's influential reach.

“Candace is going to make the move with us to Nashville,” Boreing said. “I don’t want to tell people too much what we’re working on … but we are working on a show together. Candace and I have been collaborating behind the scenes.”

This March, Owens' show will be taped before a live studio audience in Nashville.

Big-name additions are the next step if digital outlets are to compete with cable news. In sports media, both Barstool and the Ringer have begun to chase established names. The Daily Wire should do the same in the news industry.

Loser: Jemele Hill

Though I never bought into it, Trump was a heavy betting favorite for a moment last night. Naturally, the loudest Twitter accounts saw so and threw a fit.

Per usual, Jemele Hill led the way. Hill skipped the reasons and handed out blame. Yep, you guessed it: the early results were racist.

Blame everything on a white person, she advised:


























"No one else." Just white people.

Winner: John King and Bill Hemmer

Watching the map come together, the "what-ifs" and the red vs. blue can sometimes feel like the first kickoff of the NFL season.

Both CNN's John King and Fox News' Bill Hemmer were fantastic.

Somehow, King's energy increased as the rest of the country fell asleep. At times, CNN's coverage was wacky and emotional, especially with far-left hacks like Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo. Luckily, King saved it and led the way in the headlines.

Hemmer is phenomenal. He was in a tough position all night once the network called Arizona for Joe Biden and the Trump campaign pushed back, claiming it was "far too early." Hemmer normalized the tension and broke down scenarios other networks did not.

To put in perspective, Hemmer stood out on a set with Bret Baier and updates from Tucker Carlson.

Winner: Dana Perino

Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson are Fox News' biggest stars. Fox & Friends is significant to its brand. Bret Baier is among the industry's most valuable talents. After that, the list above Dana Perino quickly shrinks.

From the Daily Briefing to The Five to election coverage — Perino has had a banner year.

Perino clicks with both Fox's news division and opinion hosts. As a hybrid, Perino was critical for the network last night.

CNN and MSNBC surrounded its news teams with opinion hosts — Reid, Rachel Maddow, Cuomo, Lemon — and it didn't work. It was awkward and distracting. As a hybrid, Perino provided both analysis and the needed energy spark for coverage.

Loser: The polls

Going into the night, there were three possible outcomes: Biden in a landslide, Biden narrowly, and Trump narrowly. Networks mostly relied on polls that projected the first option, which was proven wrong quickly.

I am not anti-polls. I wasn't in 2016 either. But twice now, major pollsters have failed to accurately represent Donald Trump's support.

Perhaps, this is a Trump problem. Maybe in 2024, when Trump is not running, pollsters can redeem credibility. But I fear that's not the case. It may be that Americans are afraid to voice their opinions. They are worried about admitting over the phone to a stranger that they vote Republican, and that's a problem. If Americans live in fear of cancel culture, how free are we?

Tuesday night was a loss for the polls, yes. What about Americans?

Follow Bobby Burack on Twitter @burackbobby_.



































Written by
Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.